Myself, I visit TTAC a couple of times a day to see what’s here. I spend a fair amount of time here, but still read less than a tenth of what is available.

So I always wonder when people complain that TTAC has too much of this or too much of that. If you don’t like the coverage of something here, you can’t just ignore it?

DanM :
January 19th, 2009 at 11:49 pm

They’ve convinced the world that electric vehicles are not only for the green elite.

A turn-key Tesla would have to cost 1/3rd as much before I’m convinced it’s not for the green-elite.

However I do agree the Tesla Death Watch, and the play-by-play of the Big 2.something are getting a bit overwhelming. Tesla is doing great, getting more vehicles out there, despite being a startup with some internal drama.

I’m getting a bit tired of this anti-Tesla rant from TTAC. It’s second only to the blow-by-blow bailout coverage in making me want to tune out (when was the last time you actually had a week that covered only “the truth about cars”?); I’m sick of “the truth about wall street, business, and government intervention”

Last I checked, Tesla has produced over 200 vehicles … more than any other US automotive startup in the last 30 years (go ahead, show me wrong). Better yet, they are re-defining a class of vehicles in a way which is motivating the mainstream producers (Detroit, Japan, others) to modify their next-generation offerings. I don’t care if they go bust in another year once their backlog expires. They’ve convinced the world that electric vehicles are not only for the green elite. That fact alone is more of a legacy than most wanna-be car companies could ever aspire to.

Regards,
Dan.

The VOLT I think is stupid too. America should move towards HYDROGEN as our base automotive fuel and co-develop battery technology until better charging rates and higher capacity can be obtained.

In a racing point of view yes, but the reason these cars exist is to have appealing cars while saving money on fuel and a little performance when you want to stomp on it. Not a dedicated track car. The Karma goes a further distance on a tank of fuel and costs 20k less while seating 4 people. We know who is the winner here.

A Fisker Karma is 4650 lbs. Getting a Karma instead of a Tesla would be like getting a Cadillac STS instead of a Exige.

In similar news, a 2008 Bentley Continental Flying Spur Base Sedan costs $170,990 — but they have the GALL to charge $2,390 for Aluminum fascia panels. What a rip-off! My Nissan Versa’s panels only cost $75! What a piddly, snake-oil company Bentley is.

Seriously, though, consider his market — it’s a luxury market. If you can afford the car but not the $3,000, you can still charge it overnight; if you are the kind of person who will pay $2,390 for Aluminum fascia panels on a Bentley, you’re the kind of person who will buy the rapid charger, and pay for your electrician to install it.

If someone wants to option this car — or any supercar or luxury car, really — up to a ridiculous price with unnecessary options, they will. If they don’t want to or can’t afford it, they don’t have to.

Seriously, they have enough real problems; let ‘em gouge the truly wealthy with some pricey convenience options if it helps them stay in business a little while longer.

(I had to make up a word to properly express my feelings.)

No. It would be $30,000 if Monster™ made it…

I’d just head down to my local electrical supply house and make my own.

No thank you. Our B&B keep us honest.

I think Mr. Musk realises that there is not going to be any moneymaking white elephants in Tesla’s future now and he is trying to recoup what he can from his investment by charging fantastic prices for the “accessories”. These accessories include a lot of stuff that was promised to early buyers who already put down money on this car as standard by the way, but they are now asked to pay for them extra now. Read the dirty details here:

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/01/17/prospective-tesla-owners-not-happy-about-price-increases-on-lock/

My advice: cancel the Tesla and go for a Fisker Karma instead. Way cooler, agonizingly pretty, no range anxiety, more practical for every day use and on top of that: WAY CHEAPER!